Blue tongue games

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Mals said:
Bearfax I would like to agree with but I can't. Our average crowd at Brookvale in 2012 was 13,749. This is hardly packed to the rafters. Look at our membership numbers for this year... we have barely cracked 6K & the season starts in about 3 weeks time.


Brookie has had difficulty catering for more than about 16,000 for years especially with the work that's been carried out. I recall times when there were about 20,000 there on top games but Brookie no longer has that capacity. Check out the Hill when there's more than 15000 and its almost standing room only. A family isnt going to spend near $100 to stand for the full game, children and wife in tow, huddled almost shoulder to shoulder with other spectators, littlies unable to even see what's happening. You want to attract families to these matches these days you have to seat them, even if its only grass.
 
The Who said:
mave said:
Why would the Council/Govt spend good money to properly redevelop Brookie, when we struggle to get 13000 people to show up on a regular basis? It's not worth their attention or finances.

Sad but true, we area inching our way to the SFS or beyond.

Here we go again: Brookie bashing before the first real game of the season is played.
The SFS is a great ground - but Easts can't even draw 10,000 to their matches.
Brookie is the BEST ground to watch RL at. It may not be the most comfortable, but you are so close to the action you get a real feel for the collisions etc. It's like being in ringside seats at the boxing.... much better than being in the bleachers are some mega stadium.
I'm more than happy to pay whatever they ask to sit on the hill each time the mightly maroon-and-whites play.

I don't think anyone wants Brookie turned into a mega stadium that seats 40,000.

But is it so much to ask to have decent access to and from the ground, with decent amenities, better concession stands/bars, and some decent seating?

A modern 25,000 seat stadium would make Brookie the envy of the NRL, whilst retaining that feeling of being close to the action. Keeping Brookie the way it is just gives the NRL an easy excuse to force us to move home grounds permanently.
 
Mals said:
Bearfax I would like to agree with but I can't. Our average crowd at Brookvale in 2012 was 13,749. This is hardly packed to the rafters. Look at our membership numbers for this year... we have barely cracked 6K & the season starts in about 3 weeks time.

a less than favourable draw i.e. monday night games, thursday nights doesn't help with attracting memberships or attendance.
i scaled down my membership because i will be lucky to attend any more than 3 home games this year
 
Bearfax said:
Brookie has had difficulty catering for more than about 16,000 for years especially with the work that's been carried out. I recall times when there were about 20,000 there on top games but Brookie no longer has that capacity. Check out the Hill when there's more than 15000 and its almost standing room only. A family isnt going to spend near $100 to stand for the full game, children and wife in tow, huddled almost shoulder to shoulder with other spectators, littlies unable to even see what's happening. You want to attract families to these matches these days you have to seat them, even if its only grass.

? Isn't that what the Family Hill offers?
 
vidmar said:
Bearfax said:
Brookie has had difficulty catering for more than about 16,000 for years especially with the work that's been carried out. I recall times when there were about 20,000 there on top games but Brookie no longer has that capacity. Check out the Hill when there's more than 15000 and its almost standing room only. A family isnt going to spend near $100 to stand for the full game, children and wife in tow, huddled almost shoulder to shoulder with other spectators, littlies unable to even see what's happening. You want to attract families to these matches these days you have to seat them, even if its only grass.

? Isn't that what the Family Hill offers?

Im not maligning The Hill. Good grief I spent every second winter Saturday or Sunday afternoon half way up that hill between the northern quarter line and the try line. But again that was when the capacity was a little over 20,000 and full capacity games only occurred three or four times a year. The average crowd though back then in the 70s was over 14,000, sometimes over 15,000. They were halcyon days but it shows that if you've got the space people will come. the capacity is about 4000 less these days so a packed house is 16000-17000...maybe more if you have sufficient shoe horns.

Increase the capacity and ensure people have somewhere to sit, including on the Hill and people will come.
 
The Northern end of the ground is designated as fhe "Family Hill" (as opposed to the Eastern side of the ground (THE Hill)
I was referencing your point on where a family can sit on a blanket with kids - That is where they do it - even when there is a bumper crowd that is where they go (many others don't as it is an alcohol free area)
 
vidmar said:
The Northern end of the ground is designated as fhe "Family Hill" (as opposed to the Eastern side of the ground (THE Hill)
I was referencing your point on where a family can sit on a blanket with kids - That is where they do it - even when there is a bumper crowd that is where they go (many others don't as it is an alcohol free area)

Vidmar. Please read my last entry carefully. Anyone familiar with the ground (and I had been sitting in the same place since 1966) knows that when I say on the northern end of the Hill between the twenty metre line and the try line, I AM referring to the Eastern Hill but the northern end of it, as opposed to the southern end of the Hill between the 20 metre and try line
 
Hi Bearfax,
Sorry mate we are talking at cross purposes.

Just to clarify and sorry for any confusion - I fully inderstand where you mean when you reference the position on the (Eastern) Hill - The Hill is located on the eastern side of the ground and you stand at the northern end of it.

Understandably, when we have a big crowd then the Hill is busy and can be crowded and sitting down on a rug is not the best way to go as was your point - I fully agree - i stand on the Hill (just south of the beer shed) and take 2 sometimes 3 kids to the game - when it is really busy that spot is not the best place for them to see or watch the game .

BUT (and I did re-read your post carefully and I have been to Brooky a few times over the years) when you posted:-

"A family isnt going to spend near $100 to stand for the full game, children and wife in tow, huddled almost shoulder to shoulder with other spectators, littlies unable to even see what's happening. You want to attract families to these matches these days you have to seat them, even if its only grass."

I was advising that what you say is needed is already there?.

The "Family Hill" which is the north end of the ground (Opposite the Southern Stand, it's the end that has the merchandising van, the scoreboard and video screen, the bouncy castle, the petting zoo sometimes, the face painting and other family activities) offers plenty of rooms for family groups to sit down in an area that is alcohol free and allows kids to be able to see and enjoy the game.

Check here re costs of going to a games at Brookie

http://www.seaeagles.com.au/2013packages

If you just go to one game only as a family (2 Adults 2 kids) it will cost $70 to go on the Family Hill (A GA area) BUT the club has been great in offering a range of packages to encourage fans to go and to help by reducing the cost.

You can get a 10 match pass as an adult that gets you in for $18 a game - kids can get a $30 membership that covers every home game for the season - If you can't commit to every game then you can even get a 3 game family pass that gets 4 of you in for just over $50 a game.

So....that is why I responded to your post.

Again, What you are proposing needs to be done to attract a family group has already been addressed by our admin and the info is freely available but people do need to read it?
 
Fair enough Vidmar and apologise for the misunderstanding.

My criticism though is not directed at the Manly club which has always been very supportive of its fans and still is. This is about the capacity of the ground which has actually diminished in the past 30 years and the average crowd therefore has also diminished because not as many people can get into the game.

This is a criticism against the media for identifying Manly as lazy supporters and the respective governments, state and federal who have a different times promised major upgrades of the ground, not only in terms of capacity but also conditions, and have reneged on it each time. Abbott for example has promised support and, given it seems his party will win the next election, I will wait, but not expect him to live up to the promise...if he does then he's the first who has and good luck to him.

Brookie needs to have a 25.000 capacity, if it is going to justify Manly's continued existence at that ground. And that means leaving the Hill and the Family Hill but increasing the overall capacity of the stadiums, improving parking (not just relying totally on the goodwill of St Augustine's School yard...despite the financial benefit to them) and general facilities. That may mean the stadium becomes used by soccer, union etc but so be it. The Northern suburbs needs a major stadium for sporting events.
 
Bearfax said:
Brookie needs to have a 25.000 capacity, if it is going to justify Manly's continued existence at that ground. And that means leaving the Hill and the Family Hill but increasing the overall capacity of the stadiums, improving parking (not just relying totally on the goodwill of St Augustine's School yard...despite the financial benefit to them) and general facilities. That may mean the stadium becomes used by soccer, union etc but so be it. The Northern suburbs needs a major stadium for sporting events.

Definitely right in regards to parking and multi-use. Having the Rats play out of Brookie seems logical. Maybe even Manly United FC.
 
The only way we may get an upgrade to Brookie is to entice Manly Rugby Union, Warringah Rats and Manly FC to play out of brookie then there may be justification for an upgrade. It must become a multi purpose stadium for any future Govt funded upgrades.
 
Thanks Bearfax - I know your intentions were well meaning mate - I think it's fair to say that most who have made comment re Brooky agree that there is work to be done on the ground to improve the facilities.
Also it is worth pointing out that therecent local community consultation undertaken by Warringah Council show that the locals want Brooky to remain the home of the Sea Eagles..

Please understand that the owners and officials of the club are well aware of that are are not just sitting back waiting to win the lotto?

There is a tremendous amount of work being done behind the scenes with a number of very committed people and various interested parties to develop a workable plan that will deliver a first class, multi-function, revenue raising (or at least neutral !) facility here on the Northern beaches.

These things do take time and due process has to be followed.

It is not always possible to publicise each and every step but as and when fans are needed to support plans then they will no doubt be informed.

In the meantime, a crucial aspect of any plans is the ability to show that the venue is well supported and THAT is what supporters can do to help - the more people who attend games or even better buy memberships the more it strengthens the argument that we need and there is demand for such a facility in the local area.
 
Agreed Vidmar and I am a little aware of the work behind the scenes to upgrade the stadium. But as for support at games, there are only so many sardines you can fit in a can
 
Bearfax said:
Agreed Vidmar and I am a little aware of the work behind the scenes to upgrade the stadium. But as for support at games, there are only so many sardines you can fit in a can

If we pack the ground out each fortnight, it leaves the Govt/Council little option but to redevelop, due to public pressure,(percieved or otherwise).
No elected official will spend what we need, when we can barely scratch 14,000 voters on a good day.

My agenda is not to bag Brookie, contrary to what some previous fool said, but it seems fairly obvious to me that without a pretty serious show of support from the fans getting off thier arses and getting down to Brookie, it is only a matter of time before we end up relocating to the SFS or elsewhere.
 
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